US embassy cable - 05HANOI3190

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 003190 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USAID/RDM-A/BANGKOK PRIORITY 
 
STATE FOR G; CA/OCS/ACS/EAP; EAP/EX; EAP/BCLTV; EAP/EP; INR; 
OES/STC (PBATES); OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA) 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A (MFRIEDMAN AND JMACARTHUR) 
USDA FOR FAS/PASS TO APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) 
USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCARROLL, SCLEMENTS AND PCHAPLIN) 
STATE PASS USTR (ELENA BRYAN) 
STATE ALSO PASS HHS/OGHA (EELVANDER) 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMED, AMGT, CASC, EAGR, PINR, SOCI, PGOV, TBIO, VM, AFLU 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM: AVIAN INFLUENZA WEEKLY REPORT FOR DECEMBER 
1, 2005 
 
REF: A) Hanoi 3124 
 
1. (U) Summary.  There have been no new human Avian 
Influenza (AI) deaths in Vietnam since October 29.  The 
World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Vietnam's 66th 
human AI case on November 25 after a 15-year old boy 
contracted H5N1.  During an informal donors' meeting chaired 
by the World Bank and WHO on November 30, the Ministry of 
Health (MOH) outlined their Action Plan to Control Avian 
Influenza (AI) Pandemic in Humans and requested USD 147 
million to fund public health-related equipment, drugs, 
surveillance and training needs in 2006.  The Government of 
Vietnam (GVN) conducted a mock AI preparedness drill in 
Hanoi on November 27 and launched a new AI website for the 
public on November 30.  Poultry products are no longer 
available in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.  End Summary. 
 
QUICK AI SNAPSHOT 
----------------- 
 
2. (U) As of November 29, 2005: 
 
                         Since 2003     Since January 2005 
 
Human AI Deaths in Vietnam    42             22 
Human AI Cases in Vietnam     93             66 
 
3. (U) Thus far, AI in poultry has affected 199 communes and 
wards of 72 districts in 17 provinces and cities.  According 
to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) 
Veterinary Department, Vietnam has vaccinated 164 million 
poultry, including 108 million chickens and 56 million 
ducks. 
 
VIETNAM'S 66TH AI CASE CONFIRMED 
--------------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) The WHO confirmed on November 25 that a 15-year-old 
boy from Haiphong Province had H5N1 AI (reftel) but 
survived.  The boy was hospitalized on November 16, but was 
later discharged.  According to recent press reports, a 
three year-old boy from the Mekong Delta province of Tien 
Giang is suspected to have AI, but this has not been 
confirmed.  Officially, according to the WHO, Vietnam has 
reported 66 human AI cases since January 2005, resulting in 
22 deaths. 
 
AI ON THE WEB 
------------- 
 
5. (U) The GVN inaugurated an AI Internet website on 
November 30 to inform the general public about AI.  The 
website has useful AI-related information, but is written in 
Vietnamese.  The website is www.cumgiacam.gov.vn. 
 
INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION IN VIETNAM 
------------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) On November 30, the World Bank and WHO convened an 
informal donor coordination meeting to facilitate closer 
integration of ongoing and future donor activities with the 
Ministry of Health (MOH) and discuss specific public- 
health/AI-related needs for 2006.  The meeting was held as a 
prelude to a formal World Bank/WHO/GVN donors' meeting to be 
held December 13.  Representatives from the World Bank, WHO, 
Australia, Canada, European Union, Germany, the Netherlands, 
Switzerland, the United States and United Kingdom were 
present. 
 
7.  (SBU) World Bank Country Director Klaus Rohland and WHO 
Country Representative Hans Troedsson stressed that the 
international community should not duplicate AI 
interventions in Vietnam and must also work together to 
ensure there are no gaps.  Rohland stressed that this 
particular call for donor support focuses on enabling MOH to 
build capacity for AI as well as other infectious diseases 
at central, provincial and community levels and that "soft" 
AI-related needs, such as equipment maintenance, training 
and software should not be overlooked by donors.  Troedsson 
highlighted two key areas for immediate donor support: 
surveillance ("if we don't see it, we won't catch it") and 
information/education, which has been largely neglected as 
Vietnam enters the high-risk flu season. 
 
8.  (SBU) During the meeting, MOH Department of Planning and 
Finance Vice Director N.H. Long gave a detailed presentation 
about MOH's Action Plan to Control AI Pandemic in Humans and 
asked for USD 147 million for AI-related equipment, drugs, 
surveillance and training needs in 2006.  Specifically, Long 
said the MOH needs to focus more support toward prevention, 
treatment and essential services. 
 
8. (U) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be providing 
Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos with a USD 30 million grant to 
contain AI and other diseases.  ADB will provide the funds 
to help the affected countries develop their surveillance 
and response systems and the grant will be administered 
within the framework of the ADB-backed Greater Mekong 
Subregion economic cooperation program. 
 
USAID AI BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROJECT 
-------------------------------- 
 
9. (U) In response to a request from the Ministry of 
Information and Culture, AED/Ogilvy Public Relations (OPR) 
will be providing assistance for the training of the media 
in reporting on AI under the AI Behavior Change 
Communication Project.  Three one-day workshops will be held 
in Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, each with around 200 
participants.  The tentative dates for the workshop are 
December 9, 12 and 15.  The team is discussing with the 
Public Affairs Section (PAS) the possibility of providing a 
specialist to conduct the media skills training.  The 
presentation topics may include: responsible and factual 
reporting, empowering your audience to protect against AI 
and integrating behavior change messages into your stories. 
OPR will manage the organization of the event and will 
arrange for some of the presenters and facilitators. 
 
POULTRY RELATED ISSUES 
---------------------- 
 
10. (U) According to November 30 press reports, MARD is 
considering culling the country's entire poultry stock of 
220 million fowls to combat AI.  The idea is facing strong 
objections from poultry producers after millions of dollars 
have already been spent on the poultry vaccination program. 
In the meantime, the poultry vaccination program continues 
in Vietnam and the Chinese government recently provided USD 
174,000 to help Chinese businesses ship poultry vaccines 
from China to Ho Chi Minh City. 
 
11. (U) The Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City has also 
followed up on news reports that the Department of Animal 
Health is poisoning pigeons and other wild birds in that 
city.  Animal health officials reported they were conducting 
experiments to see if it was feasible to poison the city's 
pigeons without harming other animals and humans; however, 
no program has been implemented to date.  According to 
Reuters, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization said 
that the wild birds around Ho Chi Minh City were "highly 
unlikely" to carry the H5N1 virus. 
 
12. (U) To help farmers with their poultry losses, the 
Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development will 
reduce its monthly loan interest rates from 1.5 percent to 
0.15 percent to poultry farmers.  According to press 
reports, the Ministry of Finance and MARD have also asked 
banks to extend the repayment deadline by one year for 
farmers affected by AI. 
 
GVN PRACTICES FOR AN AI OUTBREAK 
-------------------------------- 
 
13. (U) The GVN held its first AI outbreak drill in Hanoi on 
November 27.  The drill involved approximately 1,000 health 
workers and civilians who responded to a simulated AI 
outbreak in Hanoi's Long Bien District.  A battalion of 
health, civilian and military workers converged upon the 
neighborhood where thirty individuals simulated having 
contracted AI.  According to news reports, police sealed off 
roads, transferred patients to a neighborhood hospital and 
health workers wearing protective clothing sprayed 
disinfectant around the surrounding neighborhood.  This was 
the GVN's second AI exercise using "live" victims in 
response to the continued concern of an AI pandemic in 
country; an earlier exercise was conducted in HCMC. 
According to reports, Minister of Health Tran Thi Trung 
Chien was present during the drill. 
 
BYE-BYE CHICKEN FEATHER DUSTERS! 
-------------------------------- 
 
14. (U) With poultry not available in Hanoi's markets and 
restaurants, local suppliers and consumers are having to 
find alternatives to chicken and eggs.  In fact, the use of 
frog legs is now often seen as a substitute for chicken. 
The real test, however, will come during Vietnamese New Year 
or "Tet" in late January 2006 when demand for poultry 
reaches an annual peak.  Chicken is a traditional dish often 
served by most Vietnamese families during Tet and an 
informal survey of local embassy staff has revealed that 
pork or seafood will be a likely replacement, albeit with 
mild protests. 
 
15. (U) Interestingly, chicken feather dusters are also 
becoming a rarity in Hanoi because the number of vendors 
selling them is on the decline since the GVN has banned 
their production.  Prices have actually tumbled, not 
increased, due to low consumer demand and the fear that the 
feathers may contain H5N1. 
 
MARINE